The present invention relates to a digital mixer and a digital mixing method which are capable of providing effect-imparted mixed signals in a predetermined surround mode.
Audio mixing consoles have been known which are operable to adjust levels and frequency characteristics of audio signals input from many microphones or electric or electronic musical instruments, mix the thus-adjusted audio signals into several mixed audio signal groups, and delivers the mixed audio signals groups to power amplifiers. Generally, a human operator of the mixing console adjusts respective tone volumes and colors of audio signals representative of musical instrument tones and/or singing voices to conditions that appear to most appropriately express a performance, by manipulating various panel operators provided on the mixing console. The mixing console includes, as a signal input section of the console, a plurality of input channels for inputting signals from a plurality of microphones and external equipment (microphone/line input signals), and the signal input section is programmed to perform mixing on the input signals in a desired manner and pass resultant mixing-processed signals to a plurality of output channels constituting a signal output section of the console. Generally, the signals of the individual input channels are amplified by head amplifiers and then delivered to a mixing processing section that adjusts respective frequency characteristics and levels of the signals and then performs mixing on the signals in programmed combinations. After that, each of the thus mix-processed signals is set to a desired output level via an output fader and then passed to one of the output channels.
Typically, such mixing consoles are employed in theaters and concert halls and also used in recording studios to produce music sources for recording onto compact disks (CDs), DVDs, etc. For example, in the case of the mixing console employed in a concert hall, tones performed by musical instruments and singing voices are input via a plurality of microphones installed on and/or near a stage. The mixing console adjusts the levels and frequency characteristics of audio signals input via the microphones and mixes the thus-adjusted signals in desired combinations. Then, the mixing console adjusts the levels of the mixed signals and outputs the thus level-adjusted mixed signals to power amplifiers for driving speakers. There have been known digital mixers that use DSPs and the like to digitally perform the mixing processing in such mixing consoles.
Generally, for reproduction of sounds of movies, DVD software and the like, or for sound production in theaters and the like, a plurality of speakers are placed at front and rear positions (i.e., in front of and in back of audience seats) in order to produce a sound field affording a high sense of presence or realism to the audience. Systems for producing such a high sense of presence or realism are commonly called xe2x80x9csurround systemsxe2x80x9d. Most of the known digital mixers too are constructed to produce mixed signals that can attain a surround effect using any desired one of various surround modes, several of which are illustratively shown in FIGS. 16A to 16F.
The surround mode shown in FIG. 16A is a xe2x80x9cstereoxe2x80x9d mode, where left and right front speakers L, R are placed to achieve a sense of realism. The surround mode shown in FIG. 16B is a xe2x80x9c(2+2)-channelxe2x80x9d mode, where left and right front speakers L, R and left and right rear speakers Ls, Rs are placed to achieve a sense of realism. Further, the surround mode shown in FIG. 16C is a xe2x80x9c(3+1)-channelxe2x80x9d mode, where left, center and right front speakers L, C, R, and one center rear speaker S are placed to achieve a sense of realism.
Furthermore, FIG. 16D shows a xe2x80x9c5.1-channelxe2x80x9d mode, where left, center and right front speakers L, C, R, and left and right rear speakers Ls, Rs are placed, with a woofer speaker LFE placed at a suitable position, to achieve a sense of realism. FIG. 16E shows a xe2x80x9c6.1-channelxe2x80x9d mode, where left, center and right front speakers L, C, R, and left, center and rear speakers Ls, Cs, Rs are placed, with a woofer speaker LFE placed at a suitable position, to achieve a sense of realism. Furthermore, FIG. 16F shows a xe2x80x9c7.1-channelxe2x80x9d mode, where left, center and right front speakers L, C, R, left-center and right-center front speakers Lc, Rc, and left and right rear speakers Ls, Rs are placed, with a woofer speaker LFE placed at a suitable position, to achieve a sense of realism.
In the conventional digital mixers, sound image localization control corresponding to a designated surround mode can be performed, via a mixing bus unit, on only one set of surround channels. Thus, when the sound image localization is to be reflected, for example, in an output signal to be imparted with an effect, setting for the sound image localization has to be performed on another set of surround channels without aid of the surround mode. For example, with the sound image localization control corresponding to the designated surround mode, the levels of the left, center and right front speakers L, C, R, and left and right rear speakers Ls, Rs of the 5.1 channels can be controlled by means of a single operator. However, in a case where no surround mode can be used, the levels of the left, center and right front speakers L, C, R and left and right rear speakers Ls, Rs of the 5.1 channels must be set independently one by one.
Sometimes, a user of the digital mixer may want to impart a desired effect, such as chorus or flange, when any one of the surround modes is selected. However, a plurality of effects selectable via an effecter do not necessarily include an effect of input channel construction that corresponds to the surround mode selected by the digital mixer. Also, the user does not always have to select an effect of input channel construction corresponding to the selected surround mode. Therefore, there has been a strong demand for measures to appropriately deal with the case where a particular surround mode selected by the digital mixer and the input channel construction of an effect selected by the effecter do not correspond to each other.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel digital mixer and mixings method which can not only perform a set of surround mixing operations for main output, but also perform another set of mixing operations for effect impartment or the like in interlocking relation to (in such a manner as to follow) the surround mixing operations for main output.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel digital mixer aand mixing method which allows selection of mixing modes differing between surround mixing processing for main output and surround mixing processing for effect impartment or the like.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital mixer which selectively delivers signals from one or more channels to at least one of first buses and second buses so that mixing of the signals is performed via each of said first buses and second buses, and selectively outputs the signals mixed via each of said first buses and second buses, wherein, when said digital mixer generates multi-channel surround signals, said channels adjust levels of first signals to be delivered from said channels to said first buses in accordance with a selected first surround mode and a localizing position of each of said channels, said channels adjust levels of second signals to be delivered from said channels to said second buses in accordance with a selected second surround mode and said localizing position of each of said channels, said second buses mix the second signals delivered thereto and output the mixed second signals to an effecter for imparting a given effect to the mixed second signals in accordance with to said second surround mode, and said first buses receive the second signals imparted with the given effect from the effecter, mix the received second signals with the first signals delivered thereto and output the mixed signals as multi-channel surround signals_corresponding to said first surround mode.
In the present invention, the selected second surround mode may be a surround mode that can be handled by the effecter. The selected first surround mode may be the same as or different from the selected second surround mode.
According to the first aspect, the digital mixer performs, via the second buses, surround control, corresponding to the selected second surround mode, on an input signal so that the effecter can impart a given effect to the thus-controlled signal. Then, surround control corresponding to the selected first surround mode is performed, via the first bus, on the signal imparted with the given effect in the selected second surround mode. As a consequence, multi-channel surround signals imparted with the given effect are output via the first buses through the desired output channels. Therefore, even where the selected first surround mode, for example, is not possessed by (can not be handled by) the effecter associated with the digital mixer, the effecter can impart the effect after the signal is subjected, via the second buses, to the process corresponding to the selected second surround mode that can be handled by the effecter, and then the thus effect-imparted signal is subjected, via the first buses, to the process corresponding to the selected first surround mode. In this way, the present invention can provide multi-channel surround signals imparted with the given effect and corresponding to the selected first surround mode.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital mixer which comprises: a plurality of input channels for controlling signals input to said digital mixer; a first bus section having a plurality of buses for performing mixing on signals given via one or more of said input channels; a second bus section having a plurality of buses for performing mixing on signals given via one or more of said input channels; a first designation device that designates a surround mode; a second designation device that, every said input channel, designates a localizing position in two-dimensional coordinates; a third designation device that, every said input channel, designates respective send levels of the signals with which the signals are to be delivered from the input channels to corresponding ones of the buses of said second bus section; and a fourth designation device that designates an ON/OFF state of a localization-following mode in said second bus section, wherein said plurality of input channels deliver respective input signals to corresponding ones of the buses of said first bus section after performing level control on the input signals in accordance with said surround mode designated by said first designation device and respective localizing positions of said input channels designated by said second designation device, wherein said plurality of input channels deliver respective input signals to the corresponding buses of said second bus section after performing level control on the input signals in accordance with the send levels designated by said third designation device, and wherein when the ON state of the localization-following mode is designated by said fourth designation device, said third designation device designates the send level of each of said input channels in accordance with the surround mode designated by said first designation device and the localizing position of the input channel designated by said second designation device, but when the OFF state of the localization-following mode is designated by said fourth designation device, said third designation device designates the send level of each of said input channels, irrespective of the surround mode designated by said first designation device and the localizing position of the input channel designated by said second designation device.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital mixer which comprises: a plurality of input channels for controlling signals input to said digital mixer; a first bus section having a plurality of buses for performing mixing on signals given via one or more of said input channels; a second bus section having a plurality of buses for performing mixing on signals given via one or more of said input channels; a first designation device that designates a first surround mode of said first bus section; a second designation device that, every said input channel, designates a localizing position in two-dimensional coordinates; a third designation device that, every said input channel, designates respective send levels of the signals with which the signals are to be delivered from the input channels to corresponding ones of the buses of said second bus section; and a fourth designation device that designates a second surround mode of said second bus section, wherein said plurality of input channels deliver respective input signals to corresponding ones of the buses of said first bus section after performing level control on the input signals in accordance with said first surround mode designated by said first designation device and respective localizing positions of said input channels designated by said second designation device, wherein said plurality of input channels deliver respective input signals to the corresponding buses of said second bus section after performing level control on the input signals in accordance with the send levels designated by said third designation device, and wherein said third designation device designates the send level of each of said input channels in accordance with said second surround mode designated by said fourth designation device and the localizing position of the input channel designated by said second designation device.
According to the second aspect, the digital mixer performs, on the signal of each of the input channels, level control corresponding to the designated localizing position, and, when the localization-following mode is ON, the digital mixer controls the send level of the signal of the input channel in accordance with the designated surround mode and localizing position of the channel, to thereby output the thus-controlled signal to the second bus section. In this manner, another set of mixing operations that can be used for effect input or the like can be carried out in response to surround mixing operations for main output. According to the third aspect, the surround mode of the first bus section and the surround mode of the second bus section can be designated independently of each other. Thus, by the second bus section set in the second surround mode outputting the controlled signal and the effecter outputting the effect-imparted signal to the first bus section set in the first surround mode, the first bus section can provide the effect-imparted signal of the first surround mode even where the effecter is not equipped with the first surround mode.
The present invention may be constructed and implemented not only as the apparatus invention as discussed above but also as a method invention. Also, the present invention may be arranged and implemented as a software program for execution by a processor such as a computer or DSP, as well as a storage medium storing such a program. Further, the processor used in the present invention may comprise a dedicated processor with dedicated logic built in hardware, not to mention a computer or DSP capable of running a desired software program.
While the embodiments to be described herein represent the preferred form of the present invention, it is to be understood that various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the present invention is therefore to be determined solely by the appended claims.